Freedom's Prisoners
by smokepelt
Summary: Post-Mockingjay. Gale/OC friendship. You will just have to read to find out what pairings I have! Skylar, one of Gale and Katniss' lifelong friends, is there to repair their friendship... and maybe a little more.
1. Chapter 1

**There are a lot of Hunger Games fanfics, but I still hope that this will catch readers' attention. I'm so tired of writing this – I own none of the original.**

Skylar – District 2

"How's class?"

Gale plops onto the couch. His weary gaze locks onto me. "They're learning. I just wish I didn't have to teach them." He scrubs a hand over his eyes.

Cautiously, I take his bow from him. He lets me, proving how exhausted he is. After several decades, District 2 is still struggling to recover from the rebellion. Gale and I have been helping, moving back and forth from 2 and 13… and the Capitol. It does not help matters that Gale misses Katniss, who refuses to acknowledge his existence anymore. Sometimes I visit her, Peeta, and their children, Gale and Primrose. Rose is a lot like Katniss' late sister, her own namesake. Gale (Jr.) is more like his father than my best friends. I want to kill them both – they're too arrogant – which will leave just Catnip and Rose. Gale (Sr.) might recover then.

"Did you find any turkey?"

I smile slightly. "When don't I?" I grab his plate from the kitchen and return to his side.

"Perfection, as always," he compliments around a mouthful of food. "We can hunt together, if you feel up for a little competition. I don't have lessons tomorrow." He leans his head back. "Finally, a day just for hunting and relaxing!"

My smile vanishes. "I'm going to Twelve tomorrow. Visiting," I explain.

With a groan, he switches on the TV – Panem news. Both of us straighten up at once. _"In a mine collapse, volunteers have lost their lives. Search-and-rescue workers are unsure of how many victims were caught, but a Hunger Games survivor was found: Peeta Mellark. He and his son suffocated under the rocks. All of Panem's sincerities to Katniss and her daughter." _

Gale turns it off and slams the remote onto the table. "Always a mine!" he rages, shaking his head.

I flinch. Depression is attempting to claim him once more. _But I won't let it. _"Gale, Katniss and Rose are alive! You have to come with me tomorrow – for Catnip." This time he winces, and I edge closer to him from my perch on the couch arm. "She might be in shock, so she might need _both _of her friends there. Plus, we can take her outside Twelve together. I can't do this alone." A wave of grief hits me when I meet his eyes. He lost his father, Prim, Katniss, and…

Me.

"I can't go back to the place of nightmares," he rasps, looking at me but seeing something else. The World of the Dead. Abruptly, he snaps to attention. "You shouldn't be here, Sky. What if…?"

Knowing where this is going, I shake my head to cut him off. "What if the Capitol never saved me, Gale? _I'm supposed to be dead! _I am still living, though. What if I never came back to you? You would have committed suicide by now, and then where would your family be? Where would _Katniss _be?" I am close to shouting; I clamp my jaws shut. Hell would break loose if _I _lost it. Once it happened, and I do not want to go back. My wish would have come true a lot sooner and a lot more violently.

"Sky?" Realizing I've closed my eyes, I reopen them. Somehow me going crazy revives Gale. He wraps one arm around my waist and makes room for me on the cushion next to him. I rest my head on his shoulder with a sigh. "Promise me you won't die on me yet… that I won't have to say goodbye."

"You won't," I vow quietly.

Taking his bow from me, he checks the arch from the string. One arm still curled around me, he angles his head on mine. "I'm glad you came back," he murmurs.

"Me, too," I whisper in response, imagining the havoc everything would be in. "The way I was brought back…"

Gale tightens his grip. "Snow's dead," he reminds me.

"So are my parents," I growl. "He killed them _personally_."

The fact that I can "steal" emotions probably is not much good. Gale's despair in me blazes furiously. Just another reason to hate Snow. He hurt all three of us – Katniss, Gale, me – before the Mockingjay indirectly killed him. Gale has seen this before, when I first escaped the Capitol, instead of being their soldier. He knows me better than anyone.

"Don't feel," he soothes. "Block off everyone's emotions except your own. Snow is dead; he can no longer control you."

Rage fades. Love dies. Briefly I wonder where that passion came from, then recall how much he loved/loves Katniss. My "brother" has no idea what he is possibly getting into…

District 12

The hovercraft disappears in the sky. Gale looks around his old district, his expression unreadable. I reach for his quiver of arrows; he whips around and clutches my wrist. With a slight shake of his head, he lets go, snapped out of his trance.

"Victors' Village," he guesses, leading the way.

I match him step for step. "Madge might be there."

Gale just shrugs. "She's a good friend, but Catnip needs _us_." Determination sets his jaw.

A wail rips the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Two familiar faces join us. "Good to see you, Sky."

"She's freaking out."

"Cinna, Haymitch," I greet somberly.

We all break into a run. Haymitch pulls up and protectively brings a shocked Rose to her feet. Cinna nods at me, staying behind with the victor.

Racing up to the house, Gale and I glance at each other worriedly.

"Katniss!"

**I know I have some things to explain. First, the books never specify that Cinna is dead; we just take that for granted. Second, **_**I hate Peeta**_**. No offense to those of you who are oh-so-in-love with him, but I really prefer him dead. Plus, he will make a better character this way. Third, Skylar and Gale have never and will never date/get married/whatever. Gale is in love with Katniss; that won't change. Fourth, Madge is only mentioned (for now) and may never truly come into the story.**

**If you flame about any of the above topics, your review will be ultimately ignored. Constructive criticism is accepted – being arrogant about **_**my **_**story can result in death (figuratively speaking). Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Questions given to me in reviews will be answered in following chapters. Just a reminder. **

**I own none of the original.**

Gale – District 12

Shattered glass and blood. _So much blood. _My heart pounds fearfully in my chest. Unaware of Skylar at my back, I race to my old friend's side. Katniss, her familiar face contorted with shock and pain, buries her head in her bloodstained hands. I drop to my knees beside her and pull her to me, hugging her tight to my chest. Frightened sobs rack her body. Behind me, Sky emits a choking noise.

"Gale–"

"I know. I don't care if she hates me right now." Warmth flows through me. "I still love her."

Sky kneels next to me, her eyes shadowed with unimaginable hurt. I brush my shoulder against hers, trying to get her to look at me. Seemingly transfixed by the trembling Katniss, she pays me no heed.

Rose, Haymitch, and Cinna walk in almost silently. My heart nearly breaks a second time at how closely she resembles Prim. I steel myself, blocking my emotions expertly. Sky gets to her feet and, shaking her head, goes into the hall. I embrace Katniss more tightly. She lifts her gaze, no longer blurry. Something flashes in her eyes and changes to sorrowful understanding. On wobbly legs, she stands; Rose dives into her mother's outstretched arms. I trail after Sky, wanting to help my kinless "sister."

"You shouldn't have followed me." Her once-recognizable voice sounds cold and… _dead_. She leans on the wall for support.

"I had to."

Anger blazes on her face. "Peeta wants you to take care of Katniss for him." The flame of rage dies, leaving her looking weak and overall not Skylar. "He shouldn't have died, Gale. Not when her nightmares are getting worse. He was the only one their children could go to for true comfort, and now Rose is alone."

"One, don't blame yourself. And two, I'll protect them both with my life," I flash back defensively.

Sky shakes her head. For the first time in a while, there are circles shadowing her eyes, lines of stress across her forehead. "The World of the Dead wants me back. It keeps calling to me. I'm trying to resist, but sometimes I think it'll win at last." She winces and drops to the floor.

I sit beside her. "Not while I'm around. We help each other, remember?" I put my arm around her.

She rests her head on my shoulder with some hesitation. "Catnip blown to the Sky by a Gale," she murmurs.

"Quoting my mother?"

"Hazelle loved me like her own daughter." She sighs. "Maybe she still does. I'm grateful, really, but…"

I shift so that I can look at her. "The three of us were inseparable then. Now we're inseparable once more." I pause to think for a moment. "But now we're freedom's prisoners, not the Capitol's."

"Exactly," she mutters.

Confused, I bury my feelings deeper, trying to keep her from becoming worse. "Will you help me with all this?" I check, worried between my two best friends. She nods wearily. I get to my feet and pull her up with me. "Let's go, lazy," I tease halfheartedly, practically dragging her back to Katniss.

"Thanks for coming, Sky," Catnip greets, her face normal and composed. I freeze, my feet rooting to the floor, which has been mostly cleaned. "Haymitch and Cinna told me about what I did," she continues without acknowledging me. "I guess I overreacted a bit."

Sky shrugs. "Not at all. Your father was caught in a mine, and now your husband and son. It's understandable, especially all you've been through with the war."

"Still," Katniss replies curtly.

Rose grips her mother's hand fearfully. I catch the flash of horror in her calm eyes, so fast I might have imagined it. "Don't argue with Aunt Skylar," she advises, her gaze flicking to Sky.

I know how to sense her emotions well enough by now. (They may as well be my own.) I curl my fingers lightly around Sky's wrist, which is cut from a shard from earlier. She flinches but listens to my warning; her rush of defense fades. "Take it easy," I soothe quietly, letting up on my grasp. She does not bother to pull away.

She does, however, fix a glare on Katniss. "Do you remember who you named your late son after?"

"My old friend Gale, of course," she answers.

Instinctively, my hold tightens, and Sky cringes against me. She straightens and narrows her eyes. "He isn't dead. You know that," she somewhat growls.

"He's dead _to me_," Katniss retorts.

Does she even _see _me? One good look at her expression tells me yes. Her gaze is carefully blank. Rose gapes. Haymitch widens his eyes. Cinna shakes his head almost imperceptibly. Only Skylar shows no astonishment – just fury. I feel icily calm.

"Peeta would have wanted your friends to help you through this," Sky comments, "even Gale."

"Peeta" – her voice wavers slightly – "isn't here, now is he?"

That snaps something in Sky; she lunges for Katniss, breaking out of my hold, and tackles the widow to the ground. Cinna prevents me from moving with a hard stare. I fight the urge to pull Sky off.

"_You know nothing of the World of the Dead!" _

Rose makes some noise when Sky ends her roaring sentence. Sky wrenches away from Katniss and storms outside, cursing under her breath. I catch "This bitch is hopeless" as she slams the door shut. This time I don't go after her. Haymitch helps Katniss to her feet. Rose, at a nod from Cinna, heads in Sky's wake. Cinna follows one step behind, probably for protection. Unpredictable Haymitch walks out for whatever reason. I am faced alone with the mood-swinging Katniss who apparently _does _hate me.

Great.


	3. Chapter 3

**I own none of the original.**

Primrose – District 12

Cinna watches me as I make my way over to Skylar. She grew up with my mother and, in some distant time, me. While everyone else thinks I am only named for an aunt I never knew, I can tell that Aunt Sky knows exactly who I am. Exactly what I am capable of, in terms of healing.

She barely looks up. "Hey, Prim… I mean, Rose." Something flashes in her misty eyes.

"You do know, don't you?" I venture, sitting on the bench next to her. Near the garden, I can smell the flowers my father helped to plant.

Blinking, she tilts her head back to stare at the sky. "Know what?"

I sigh. "Who I am," I clarify, doing my best to keep my voice even. I want to see how Mom is, but I know that Skylar needs me more. Haymitch left Gale with Katniss, and I can only hope they'll be okay. "That's why you called me Prim, right?" I continue when she falls silent.

"I hate being who I am," she mutters, still not looking at me. I can't tell if it is anger or sadness (or both) that makes her voice waver. "I hate Panem. I just want to be dead, like I'm supposed to."

"What if you were brought back for a reason?" I inquire, pressing my palm to the back of her hand. "I was."

"You're different. You were reincarnated." She snorts. "I'd do anything to even be reincarnated in this hellhole! But no, I was brought back to life, resurrected, as an _experiment_." She basically spits the word. "Katniss really does know nothing of the World of the Dead. I know too much. And yet, which one of us has the true benefit? Knowing or not knowing?" With a deep breath, she whispers, "Real or not real?"

I stiffen. "My parents used to ask each other that. As a game. I think it helped them get over the Hunger Games" – I shudder – "and the war."

"Nothing is a game. Even freedom has its price. And I don't mean the war." I look at her curiously, but she keeps her gaze fixed on the heavens. "What's the point in freedom if you still have laws to control you? What's the point in dictatorship and totalitarianism if people still think their own thoughts?" She rolls her shoulders, causing her neck to crack.

My life as Prim floods back to me. "Are you okay?" I reach for the back of her neck.

Sky catches my wrist swiftly. "Don't touch me." She drops my hand, practically flinging it away. "You have no idea what you were brought back for. But why am I here? My time as an experiment is over. I have nothing left to live for, and yet I still live. Now thing is, _why?" _

"Do you want me to get Gale?" Unable to answer her question, I bring up the only person who could probably fix her.

"Go heal your mother or sister or whatever she is. Tell Gale that I'm going to Thirteen – that I can't stand it here. And make sure no one follows me."

When she gets to her feet, Cinna and Haymitch both appear behind her. "I wouldn't do that, Sky," Haymitch warns, fresh grief in his eyes. I recall that he has had his heart broken from the Games, too. This must have reopened old wounds.

"Not until you rest, anyway," Cinna chimes in, his finger twitching. "Let Rose take care of you."

Her eyes flash once more. "No," she replies dully, collapsing onto the bench.

Gale materializes in the doorway, looking exhausted. "Somehow I got Katniss to fall asleep. She's in her room." I motion for him to join us. His gaze locks on Sky's. "What's wrong?" He takes my seat, lacing his fingers with his friend's.

Sky twists her hand a bit and then, realizing he is not as easily ordered around, leaves his strong hold alone. "Why?" she murmurs.

"Catnip blown to the Sky by a Gale," I remind her before turning away and signaling for Haymitch and Cinna to follow me. "Don't throw away everything all because of what a dead lunatic did to you." I glance over my shoulder to see tears finally break. "You'll be okay, Aunt Sky."

_This should be interesting, _I think as I watch from the broken kitchen window.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter might seem like Sky and Gale are together. Just remember that I'm having Sky fix the whole Gale/Katniss scenario. Would it make sense? They've all known each other since… forever, and Sky and Gale lived together as a kind of brother-sister thing. I figured I would warn you. **

**I own none of the original.**

Skylar – District 12

"You can't protect me forever."

"I can try," he argues. "What makes you want to go to Thirteen? All of us need you right here in Twelve."

I turn away from his quizzical gaze, trying not to let the lingering spirits get to me again. What happened inside was a horrible mistake. Katniss had gone too far, and I had lost control. If President Snow was still alive, it would be something he would have wanted. That he would have carted me off to the Capitol for. With all the deaths going on and what he did to me, I really am turning into the soldier he wanted me to be. And the only reason I am trying to leave for Thirteen is because I will be at less of a chance of hurting anyone here, especially Gale.

_How can I tell him his whole family is dead, too? _

Of course he does not know yet. Only I know, along with a select few of Thirteen's past rebellion leaders. They were on their way to Thirteen when the hovercraft failed and crashed into the Wilds north of the border between Thirteen and Twelve. All of them died. No one attempted a rescue because they knew those passengers were dead. After telling those select few myself, I know I cannot possibly break it to Gale. Like the news of Katniss pronouncing him dead to her, this information would crush him entirely. I have to protect him… unlike how I protected Katniss.

"Sky, you can't pin this on yourself," he comforts, squeezing my hand. I will really break away if he somehow gets weaker. "Thirteen has nothing that Twelve doesn't have… or even Two! You should know that by now."

"It doesn't have you," I growl, twisting my wrist a little more for emphasis. He, as expected, does not budge. "Why won't you let me do what I want to?"

"Because I know that you'll end up doing something you'll regret," he states calmly. Damn – he knows he's right. I do not completely hate him for it, but I do despise how well he recognizes craziness by now. "Skylar, just come inside and let Rose take care of you. Katniss is sleeping, so there'll be no trouble from her. And Cinna and/or Haymitch will let one of us know if something's wrong when she wakes up." He tightens his grip. "Let us handle everything. You're exhausted, and you should sleep while you can."

I feel the tug of exhaustion emphasizing his words. "I hate you," I mutter.

Relaxing at last, he stands and pulls me up with him like he had in the house. "I know. I love you, too. Now let's get some sleep." He leads me inside.

When my head hits the pillow, I drop into the World of the Dead.

**Sorry for such a short chapter. I might make another OC (male) in the next one, but I'm not sure yet. And I will definitely explain more next time. Thoughts, anyone? **


	5. Chapter 5

**I own none of the original. This chapter might get a little confusing – sorry in advance. And the "Unknown" in the beginning will be known later on. **

Unknown – The World of the Dead

A smirk on my face, I watch as Skylar drops into the realm. I have trained in dream-walking, more so than she has, thanks to President Snow. Even though I was never one of his tools for revenge against Thirteen, I do appreciate the extra skills he has given me. Skylar looks horrified when she recognizes where she is, and I call two families forward to be her greeting party: hers and Gale's.

"No!" she exclaims, her terror growing. "Get away! I'm not going to join you!"

Their mutters grow louder, becoming a chorus of wails. She drops to her knees on the slimy ground, covering her ears with her hands, her shoulders shaking in silent sobs. Her guilt and fear flow easily toward me, and I wonder how she has not noticed that I am here yet. In the weird way of mine, I absorb the emotions, storing them as extra bursts of energy for later. Then I call on Maysilee, Peeta and Gale Jr.

"Leave me alone," she whimpers, betraying how weak she has become. "I'm not one of you anymore. You can't have me!"

I step out of the shadows, assuming an air of authority. "Why not embrace it, Skylar? Instead of running away, do you see what acceptance can give you?" I lift my arms, feeling power brush my skin.

Her eyes drift up to meet mine. Understanding and recognition flicker in the depths before changing to anger. "Dissolve this before I break your skull," she snaps.

A cold bark of laughter escapes my mouth. "I don't take orders from anyone, little girl. You still have some growing up to do. Enjoy." I do an elegant bow and leave her to the World of the Dead, a trail of laughter in my wake.

Katniss – District 12

"Sky, wake up!" I shake her shoulders, trying and failing for the fourteenth time to rouse her. She trembles against my hands, her face tense with alarm, her jaw set from dread. "Sky…"

_Don't! _my mind screams. _He's supposed to be dead to you! _

I turn away from Sky, horror unfurling in some distant part of me. I will never forget Peeta, but I think it is time to forgive Gale. He never meant any harm when that bomb exploded. After all, he spent all these years in Two, away from me. I know how badly he wanted to make it up to me. And I no longer care what I said in my moment of grief. Widowed or not, my friend needs me. Reluctantly, I admit I need both of them, too.

"Gale!" He looks up sharply, shock written on his features. I swallow back the sudden rush of emotions and explain as quickly as I can. Finishing with: "She won't get up!"

"Nightmare," he remarks, following me to her room. His eyes fall on her shaking body; sadness fills the depths. "Nobody can wake her from one of them if it does not want to let go," he explains, his moment of surprise forgotten. I'm all too aware of his proximity as we stand in the doorway. "She has to fight to get out on her own."

Rose suddenly appears behind us. "No!" she shrieks, pushing passed us to kneel at Sky's side. My daughter clutches her hand like a lifeline. "She's… Oh, God. She's in…"

"Where?" demands Gale, his expression hardening.

"The World of the Dead," Rose whispers, bowing her head. "Someone trapped her there."

"_You know nothing of the World of the Dead!" _Her voice echoes in my head, its roar now making sense. _"This bitch is hopeless."_

_You were trying to help me, and I was nothing but mean to you, _I observe silently as I watch Gale stride to her other side. _I wouldn't let Peeta go. _I square my shoulders, steeling myself. _Now I am. Everyone has to have the chance to rest in peace. _

Another memory engulfs me, momentarily blinding me from the room. She lost her family just as I had lost mine (sort of) and even, for a moment, lost herself. Until Snow brought her back, that is. She had told me and Peeta one day during a visit. That haunted look is forever etched into my brain.

"Is there anything I can do?" I offer.

Gale glances at Rose. "Maybe. Is there still the Mockingjay in there?"

I smile at him slightly, in spite of myself. "It's like she never left," I assure him, coming to stand beside him. "What do you need me to do?"

"Make sure Rose doesn't fall over. She's going on a little journey." He looks at me apologetically.

Love surges through me, for Rose and Sky and even Gale. We work as a team, always. I am the only one left who has refused to fix that. Grabbing two chairs from the study, I sit in one with Rose at my side. She closes her eyes and instantly slumps, her head falling on my shoulder. I curl one arm around her, keeping her somewhat upright, afraid for my daughter and my best girl friend.

Gale mutters something under his breath, his attention focused on Sky. She groans, rolling over yet again. He catches her shoulder and gently pushes her onto her back. Her brow furrowed, she twists her face in pain. "C'mon, Sky," Gale whispers, brotherly affection shining in his eyes.

"Rose!" she screams, bolting upright. Wild panic dances in her gaze.

Rose lifts her head, apparently fully awake. "I'm fine, Aunt Sky. But… are you okay?"

Gale slides his arms around her from behind. "Easy, Sky," he soothes, holding her tightly. "It was just a nightmare."

"That was not just a nightmare," she growls, looking mutinous.

"Does it matter?" I ask. "You're safe now."

She relaxes in his embrace. "Yeah, I guess I am." Curiosity replaces her prior fear as her eyes flick between me and Gale. "I thought you two despised each other?" she reminds us.

My gaze locks with his. "Um…"

"We have a lot to talk about," he supplies, sympathy in the depths.

"Yeah," I agree, "we do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Time to reveal my new OC. And as always, I own none of the original.**

Gale – District 12

Forgetting that Catnip said I was dead to her, I settle in the chair beside her when Rose takes my place next to Sky. "If it's not too much to ask, what were you doing in the World of the Dead?" I inquire softly, leaning forward with my arms on my knees.

Skylar shivers, her eyes haunted. "Rowan trapped me," she whispers.

"Rowan?" Katniss echoes. "I thought he… you know."

She flinches, looking away from us into something only she can see. "He did. He accepted what Snow did to us, though. And he turned evil because of it." Rose slips her hand into her so-called aunt's comfortingly. "He said I have growing up to do and that I should just embrace what's happened. Everything's easier, or so he claimed. I didn't want to listen to him, but he… he called our families to help keep me there. They looked so miserable… I-I wanted to help them – I still do – but it's like they want _my _life in order to be happy." Tears shine below the depths, barely suppressed as she draws in a shuddering breath.

"He can't hurt you," Rose murmurs, resting her head on Sky's shoulder. My old friend does not seem to notice.

I see Katniss glance at me out of the corner of my eye, but I focus all my attention on the traumatized girl in front of us. "He really can't. If he tries, I'll rip his heart out."

"Maybe we should go to the forest," Katniss suggests quietly, her voice in my ear. I inhale sharply at the pressure of her breath. "She's always more at peace with nature than she is with the rest of us."

_And she can take her anger and fear out on hunting, _I realize, blinking gratefully at the Mockingjay. I get to my feet, extending my hand toward her. "Let's go, Sky."

"Go where?" she queries, eyeing my outstretched hand skeptically.

"The forest," Katniss answers for me. She nods for Rose to find Cinna and Haymitch, probably to stay with them. "You'll feel a lot better if you get away from everything."

To our surprise, she shakes her head. "Anywhere I go, he'll find me. I'll never escape my past."

"Do you know how paranoid you sound?" I chastise, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up. She wrenches away from my touch with a glare. (But to be honest, I wasn't holding that tightly.)

"You're coming," Catnip states, almost as an order. "Those couldn't have been our families if they were helping Rowan. None of them would ever do that."

"They would," Sky argues, "if they thought he could help them in return."

I roll my eyes. "That's a load of bullshit. They're smarter than that, and I doubt any of them would want something bad to happen to you. Especially if they had to assist in that 'something bad'," I add at her scowl. "I don't know how it's even possible for him, but Rowan's the only one who hates you – living, dead, or undead. As for being afraid and virtually paranoid, what happened to a devilish huntress who could've rivaled Katniss as one of Thirteen's commanders?" _You would've been in charge of 13's army, actually, _I note silently.

"Have I ever told you I hate you?"

Katniss and I exchange a glance. "Yes," we answer simultaneously.

A wry smile tugs at her lips. "Good. 'Cause I still do." She barely steps out of the Village before she freezes, her feet rooting in place. I reach for my bow and arrows on my back, as does Katniss. We step in front of her protectively.

"What a nice greeting party," Rowan observes, his eyes dark and cruel. I try to recall the friend he used to be before that whole not-an-accident, but come up short, unable to place him with the same boy who was Sky's hunting partner more often than not, like me with Katniss. Only I never have been evil. "Did you tell them yet, little girl, or shall I?"

I look at Sky, confused, but she stares at her feet. A shiver passes over me. What can these two possibly have in common?

A wicked grin passes over his face. "Very well," he responds.

**You'll hear what he has to say next time. Just remember that he's evil and he can lie like a lunatic (because he might really be a lunatic). Stick around for the next update!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I own none of the original and everything of this fanfic.**

Rowan – District 12

I can feel Skylar's growing horror before I even begin to speak. "Snow killed a lot of people in his day, some for his growing army, others for revenge. Our parents had been in league with Thirteen officials for quite some time before he noticed. When he captured us, he decided that he would kill _us _first, making our parents suffer for it. And then he made us watch _their _deaths, to ensure that we wouldn't turn against him. That what was Skylar here hated most – wasn't it?

"We were still training when Skylar ran away. Snow had me track her, but she was clever, leaving several false trails. I knew she was heading for Thirteen, to finish what her parents had started, and so I told him about the hovercrafts in the district. This was all still during the war; those hovercrafts weren't used until after Presidents Snow and Coin were dead." Katniss' indignant expression faltered a bit. I rushed on before anyone could stop me. "They transported refugees whose homes were destroyed, soldiers returning to their own home districts, and others who were looking… visiting, I should say. Most of them crashed somewhere in the Wilds. Your own family was on one of them, Hawthorne. And Skylar has known about it since it happened."

His rage toward me turns into confusion as he faces Skylar. "You never told me?" he rasps.

Katniss spends no time balking over the information, even though she knows her family is dead as well. An arrow is fixed into place, her bow pointed right at my chest. "Move," she growls. I dig into her thoughts, find that she and Gale want to help heal Skylar, and shake my head.

"I can't do that, Everdeen. Retreating right where I have an advantage." I make a _tsk _sound. "Now where's the fun in that?"

"The fun is not dying," she flashes back, "again."

Still shaking my head, though my gaze never leaves her bow, I summon some of the dead, including her family. The recent additions cause her hand to tremble, her aim wavering until she finally lowers her weapon. Gale stops interrogating Skylar when he sees the sudden appearance of a few of my friends. I turn all my attention to Skylar, leaving the two former friends to their relatives.

"Come with me," I order softly. "I can teach you how not to be afraid – how to be yourself again."

Something resembling pity flickers in her blazing eyes. "I _am _myself. _You're _the one who needs help."

"We can do this the easy way… or my way," I warn. "How would your friends feel if I left them to suffer while I took you in myself? This is one battle you cannot win, little girl. It's your freedom" – I glance back at the frozen images of Katniss and Gale – "or theirs."

"Leave them alone," she snaps, but her face becomes hollow as she realizes it is not much of a choice.

"I've known you for how long?" I continue to taunt. "I know how to get you to submit."

Skylar lowers her eyes. "Fine," she mutters. When she locks her gaze on mine once more, they are fierce with the desire to protect. She would have made a great fighter, had she stayed. "But you won't hurt them afterward."

"Unless you run away," I compromise, still keeping my voice deadly soft.

"I won't run away." She crosses the slight gap in distance between us. "Not anymore. Call them off."

Not letting triumph hide my guard, I jerk my head at the spirits. They disappear back into nothingness, letting the two prisoners move again. Gale's eyes find us first; Katniss is not far behind. Both of them pull their bowstrings back almost at the same time, betraying their many years of friendship before the war broke them apart. "Call your own warriors off, little girl. Our deal is cancelled if they strike me." Her face hardens as she glares at me, but she moves back to her friends and whispers urgently to them.

Shock appears on both their faces. I drink in the emotions, smiling wickedly when they glance between me and her. _He can't hurt you. If he does, I'll rip his heart out. _

_Brave words, Hawthorne, _I think after that memory is over. _Challenge accepted. May the best warrior win. _

Underneath the darkness that has settled permanently in me, I sense a spark of my old self, the hunting partner to the weakling in front of me. _I couldn't hurt her if I tried, _I realize, pushing the past away. To be truly free of it, to completely become what I should, I have to break the curse that Skylar has put on me. Gale and Katniss might love each other somewhere in their pathetic hearts, but Skylar and I have no such connection. _We never will, _I tell myself, knowing I will have to hurt her eventually.

"_Part of the reason why I chose you," _Snow had said, _"was because I feel you must prove yourself. It is easy to see you once cared for the girl. Now it is my job to destroy her, and I cannot have any turncoats in my midst." _

Skylar watches them head back into the house with a look of longing on her face. An unfamiliar jump in my heartbeat causes me to inhale sharply when she turns back to me, her eyes cold, no longer filled with friendliness and tolerance. "No matter what you do to me," she states, walking up to stand toe-to-toe with me, "I will never be one of you."

"We'll see," I murmur, pulling her with me through a portal the World of the Dead allegedly "offered" for our use.


	8. Chapter 8

**I own nothing from the original.**

Skylar – Unknown

Despite the hatred I pour into my expression and my tone of voice, I cannot help the irregular pulse I feel against my ribcage. Rowan had once been my friend. I once felt something toward him.

And then Snow had come in and ruined everything.

_That _thought brings me out of my memories. Because of the former president, both of us had been changed – for better or for worse, I can no longer tell. Rowan glances at me from time to time, wanting to say something before pushing it away. He leads me through winding passageways; they are clearly tunnels, signaling we are underground. I have no clue where we are otherwise, and the many twists and turns soon confuse me. I am surprised Rowan even knows where to go.

He casts a sideways look at me again, snapping my patience. "What do you want from me, anyway?" I demand, hiding how hard it is for me to see him so… _evil_.

The tunnel narrows. His shoulder brushes against mine, making my stomach knot itself. "What I've wanted for a long time. To restore you to what you should be." The coldness in his tone nearly rivals my own; I wonder briefly if he is hiding something, too.

But, of course, I have no ways of finding out.

Katniss – District 12

"We have to go find her." Gale paces around the study, ignoring Haymitch, Cinna, and Rose to look solely at me from time to time.

I try again to reach him in his thick-headed determination. "Gale–"

"I don't care what Sky said," he continues in a near-growl, ignoring me. "She needs us, and she just doesn't know it. Rowan is dangerous. He can kill her on the spot if he wanted to, without putting any thought or effort into it. I don't know what she's thinking, but if it's that their old friendship will save her, she's wrong. That mistake might cost her her life."

"She can take care of herself," Rose chimes in hesitantly. "If he hurts her or even attempts to, she'll fight back."

Gale ignores my daughter, too. "You." He fixes Haymitch with a glare. "Maysilee said something about you being able to save her from his control. I assume that means any loved one who tries will be able to break through Rowan's ranks," he sweeps on, either not noticing or not caring about the grief that flashes across my old mentor's face.

"Gale!" I exclaim. "While all of this has good intentions, you're forgetting precisely what Skylar didn't want us to do. She doesn't want us risking ourselves for her. _That's _why she told us not to go after her. You keep pushing away the thought of her fighting on her own, but if it comes down to it, she'll find her way back to us – _alone_. No one else has to help her."

Cinna whistles. "I haven't seen the Mockingjay in a while," he remarks softly.

My old friend's blazing eyes lock on mine. His expression softens. "Neither have I," he murmurs. "Can you guys give us a minute?" Soundlessly, they file out of the room, leaving the two of us alone.

"What's up?" I fold my arms across my chest. "Did you think of a way to get her away from Rowan without going behind her back?"

"No." He reaches out and pulls me to him, hugging me tight against his chest with one arm while his other hand cups my face. Before I could say anything, he presses his lips to mine, making me wonder how I could ever hold a grudge against him for something he didn't do. When he breaks the kiss, he touches his forehead to my own. "But I've wanted to do that for a while."

Knowing I am blushing, I stay in his embrace for a few more moments before my mind refocuses on Sky. "You're right that we have to get her out. We just can't barge right in. And if she escapes, you heard her: He'll come after us next."

"I'd like to see him try," Gale states cruelly, though his eyes lost some of their battle-hungry act.

"We'll save her," I continue, playing with his reluctance, "just not yet."


	9. Chapter 9

**Usually I wouldn't update this quickly, but in honor of my birthday I'm going to. As usual, I own none of the original.**

Skylar – Unknown

My instincts kick in around five days after Rowan brought me here. I will the World of the Dead to come to me, and it takes me back to 12. Katniss nearly jumps when she sees me.

"No time for explanation," I observe, pushing past her to face Gale. "We need to go to the Wilds. Now. It's the only way to stop the last of Snow's influence." I take a shuddering breath. "It's the only way to return me to a normal human being, instead of some magical fantasy."

The two of them exchange a glance. "Rowan won't attack Rose?" Katniss asks.

My impatience grows, although deep down I am proud for her caution. Something flickers in Gale's eyes that should be a warning, but I ignore it. "No. He wants me for some revenge thing, and he thinks he'll reach me through you. Rose isn't a problem. She can stay with Cinna and be perfectly fine." My skin crawls, warning me that Rowan is on his way.

"She's right." Gale pecks Katniss' cheek. Blush creeps up her neck, and I shake my head in exasperation. I was going to try to get them back together, but my being captured seemed to work a lot better than any plan I would've made. "Let's go before we waste any more time. I'm afraid our ticket out of here might take off on her own."

I roll my eyes. "You're welcome, by the way," I flash back, calling the World of the Dead again. My stomach is in knots because of so much contact with everything I want to leave behind, but I have to do this to try and fix it all. "Get across the border." I close the door, hoping it is the last one I ever have to make. Otherwise I will probably kill myself before I surrender to Rowan.

_You got Katniss and Gale to revive what they had. You have nothing else to live for. _

The crash of a waterfall reaches my ears as we flee into the Wilds, nearly drowning out the next thought: _That's a lie. You still have Rowan. _All my old feelings for him resurface, and I try not to stumble as the weight falls on my shoulders. "We have to find the heart of the grove. There are clearings everywhere in each of these forests, but there's only one heart near the border. We'd be dead if we went any farther." My foot catches on a tree root, and I stagger, not acting like myself at all.

Gale steadies me. "Stop thinking so much," he suggests.

Katniss comes up on my other side. "We're all hunters. We can survive out here if we had to. Just let instinct guide you." The way her eyes dart to Gale tells me they went to the Meadow and even farther outside 12, as he re-taught her all she used to know.

We find the heart (using our instincts), and we set up camp. My senses are all on high alert, knowing all too well what Rowan is capable of. I am surprised that he didn't torture me when he had the chance.

_He couldn't hurt you if he tried, _a voice in the back of my head whispers.

A shiver crawls across my skin. _Looks like I'm going to find out soon._


	10. Chapter 10

**This is going to end soon. I'm getting bored with it, so it may seem a little rushed. I own none of the original.**

Rowan – The Wilds

I know what Sky wants to do but step under the canopy of the trees anyway. Gale and Katniss are farther away from her, sitting against the edge of the clearing. I lock my gaze on her, seeing a flash of something familiar in her eyes. I ignore the heat that rushes forward, wanting to get rid of the past. There is no turning back. President Snow lives on through me, and I will not fail him.

"You realize how stupid it was of you to come here," she remarks coldly.

Raising my chin, I glare. "Once I fulfill my promise, it doesn't matter if you destroy me."

"What promise?" Despite herself, Sky lets on to her worried curiosity. "Since when do you actually admit that I_ can _destroy you?"

"You have nothing to live for, little girl. Your friends here are perfectly fine on their own now. Your family's dead. You won't accept what's happened to you, and therefore, I must keep my promise to obliterate any signs of your existence. I owe you and Snow that much."

Her eyes grow hard again at the mention of her enemy. "See, that's where you're wrong. You owe no allegiance to a maniac who's _dead! _He holds no power over you anymore. Why do you think I came here? I knew you would follow me when you realized I was gone. The Wilds are a place of destruction if you don't know what you're doing." To my surprise, she draws power to her, the earth's so-called magic that the late president had discovered. Whether or not people choose to believe it, the planet takes care of all its residents using its own alleged "powers," which happens to be where people get superstitions and magic and things along those lines.

"What? Are they going to heal me?" I scoff.

Sky blinks, dropping her mask. Immense grief shows underneath. "Yes. I'm sorry, Rowan."

It's the first time since the not-an-accident that she called me by my name. Her eyes bright with sorrow, she pushes the ancient power toward me, draping it over me. It begins to seep through me, prying apart the darkness, and I drop to my knees without acknowledging the pain searing under my skin. Sky steps forward once, strengthening her hold on me, taking the taint away. In the back of my mind, I realize she is hurting herself in the process, considering we're indirectly connected. I collapse onto my side, no longer caring about fighting what she is doing. If she kills me, so be it. And if I live, will I really have changed back to what I was?

Sometime during the whole process, both of us blacked out. I wake up with the soft feel of a mattress under my back, a pillow beneath my head. Primrose's blurry form slowly comes into focus, bending over a still figure on another bed. I push myself into a sitting position, groaning at the pain that lances up my spine.

"You're not supposed to move." Rose does not turn around from her work. I ignore her warning and cautiously get to my feet. I can no longer feel the tug of the earth below my skin. She actually did it.

My eyes fall on her pale face, and I lurch forward, dropping to my knees beside her. As weak as I am after having power for so long, I manage to get used to the old, comfortingly-familiar feeling of being normal quickly. Entwining my fingers with hers, I glance at Rose out of the corner of my eye. "Will she be okay?"

"I don't know yet." She sighs. "She pretty much sacrificed her life to get rid of the death inside you. So this can go either way."

"You're up." Katniss' cold voice breaks into the silence a few minutes later. I lift my chin from where I was resting it on Sky's icy hand. "Why couldn't you have died like you were supposed to?"

Rose glares at her mother. "Give him a break. Sky actually got to heal him before this happened. He's not a threat to anyone anymore."

"Especially not Sky," I mutter under my breath, turning my attention back to Sky when Gale walks in behind Katniss. They can kill me if they want. They have every right to after what I did. But I have a distinct feeling if either of us dies now, the other will, as well. The best chance Sky has of living now is knowing she saved me. Old emotions rush forward – compassion, protectiveness, even love. _Yeah, _I think, closing my eyes as long-forgotten memories spring up. _I love you still, even after everything that's happened. _

After a while, the three of them leave me with Sky. Gale and Katniss saw by now that I really can't do much until I recover fully. Rose, confident about her skills but concerned for Sky's survival, is reluctant to be separated from her patient. She really is Prim, underneath.

"Rowan?" I've moved to my own bed; I lift my head at her voice. "What…" She groans. "Why do I feel like I've been run over by a train?"

I smile tentatively at her. "You healed me, that's why." I move over to her side, sit on the edge of the bed. She wraps trembling but powerful fingers around my wrist, keeping me in place as she takes in her old hunting partner. "You shouldn't have done that, though. You nearly killed yourself."

"I would've died before accepting defeat," she murmurs, quoting herself from the past. I twist my wrist slightly, threading my fingers through hers once more. "One quick question before I drift off again," she breathes, her voice reedy.

"What?"

The hints of a smirk play at her lips. "You love me. Real or not real?"

"Real," I whisper, catching on to her joke.

###

I come to again, this time lying next to Sky. She is still asleep, and no one has come in since they left nearly half a day ago. I brush her bangs from her face, letting my fingers linger gently on her forehead. A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.

"How do you keep waking up before me?" She opens her eyes, letting the smile grow as she meets my gaze. She cranes her neck to look at the clock, then out the window. "It's nighttime." She sighs and rests her head on my chest. "We've been sleeping for a while, haven't we?"

"Better than dreaming, huh?" I remind her softly, hugging her tightly when she shivers. "I missed you, Sky."

She grins slightly at me. "You didn't call me 'little girl'," she comments happily.

"I don't think you were ever a little girl," I murmur, closing the distance between us. She kisses back without hesitation, and I do not need my old abilities to know she missed me, too. Pulling away, I look down at her, smiling with her. "I love you."

"I know." She pecks my lips before yawning, a sign she's about to doze off again. "I love you, too."

**Kind of a clichéd ending, but there'll be an epilogue whenever I get around to it. Thanks for sticking with me, and I'm sorry there's not more action like I had planned.**


	11. Epilogue

**I own none of the original. If you're reading this, thanks for sticking with me for so long. I would've done a lot more with this story if I'd had more inspiration, but after a while, it just got kinda old. Thus resulting in one of the shortest fanfics I've ever written. **

Rowan – District 2

"Ugh." Sky leans her head back, staring at the ceiling of hers and Gale's old home. "I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life."

I wrap my arms around her from behind, and she shifts slightly in my grip, head against my chest comfortably. "You have every right to be." It has been a few months since she healed me, and in those few months, Katniss remarried to Gale. In a shared dream, the two of us had seen a proud and happy Peeta wave goodbye to the two "cousins" as his existence was put to rest. Sky also has been working to get everything back to normal in all five of our lives. Once Gale, Katniss, and Rose were resettled in their own house, we moved here. District 2 actually seems better since the last time I saw it, undoubtedly Sky and Gale's work.

"Hey." Sky twists her head to look at me. "How come you're so agreeing today?"

I smile, and three visitors step into the room. It has also been a few months since she saw them. When I release her, she practically dives into Gale's arms; Rose and Katniss complete a group-hug. "They decided it was too long since we last saw each other," I remark.

"You didn't think you'd never see us again," Gale chuckles, "did you?"

Sky smacks his chest, laughing. "Of course not." She gives Rose a once-over. "You seem more… mature. What happened to you since I left?"

"I started learning medical stuff again." The nurse-to-be grins. "I think I saw my brother once, too, and he seemed really happy for me. I still miss him, but now I know he doesn't blame any of us for what happened." She seems a little upset about that, but there is a new understanding to her that even I am proud of.

"We got the last of the mines closed down, too. To people, at least – some of the past Hunger Games technology turned out to be robots to mine for our coal." Katniss smiles when Sky turns an incredulous gaze on her. "It's safer for them to be crushed than it is for us."

I pull her to me again, resting my chin on her shoulder as she takes in her only family for so long. "Happy birthday, my love. I have a feeling it's the best one you've had in far too long."

"I love you guys." She looks at me. "You especially, for hiding this from me."

"He had help," Gale protests jokingly.

_All of us are finally free._


End file.
